Drive down the right street in a metropolis like Cleveland, Pittsburgh or Chicago, in former steel towns like Youngstown or Lorain, OH, and you’re likely to miss it. But stop in front of a simple hall or church, open a nondescript door and go down the steps, suddenly you’re in another, unexpectedly rich world, a party that transports you to a village in rural Ukraine, a café in Croatia, or a black-tie ball in 1930’s Budapest.

A crowd of people dance csardas or kolo or kolomyjka. The crush of people around the musicians sing lustily along to Evo Banke, Cigane Moj. A customer at a table gestures and the band walks up to play a favorite hallgató like Piros Rózsák Beszélgetnek. A circle of dancers stretches around an asphalt parking lot as the strains of Hora din Bucovina fill the night air. A mix of languages hits your ear: the language of the new world and the old country, side by side. A vibrant culture is alive and well, nurtured in communities who have kept their treasure of tradition - and kept it living, breathing, and, most importantly, dancing.

The chain of events triggered by the fall of the Berlin Wall produced a new wave of immigrants from Eastern Europe in the 1990’s. Accomplished traditional musicians also joined this migration. These newcomers renewed the links to the wellsprings of the tradition, breathing new life into an already rich culture, and ensuring that the music and dance would continue for generations to come.

Harmonia is part of this tradition, and has long savored our connections to the overlooked pleasures and celebrations of immigrant and heritage communities in the U.S. Uniting the old and new immigrations, Harmonia brings this world to the stage.
- Walt Mahovlich

Dear friends and family thank you for all your help and support throughout the years. We appreciate all you have done for us to help make our journey a success. We exist because of you!